APPENDIX. 451 
ation from the plan previously understood by the officers, and by his unac- 
countably exposing the cavalry in a place where they ought not to have been 
employed, as they could be of’ no service. We remained before the town two 
days, and then returned to Sause, leaving Bustos unmolested to effect his 
Junction with his allies, Lopez and La Madrid. We lost between forty and 
fifty men in the assault ; the enemy’s loss could not be so little: Bustos, how- 
ever, gratified his allies by reporting that he knew from good authority that 
our loss in killed and wounded was not less than 300 men, and even gave 
them a description of the manner in which we buried our soldiers to keep our 
loss unknown, &c. On our arrival in Sause, we were informed by our spies 
of the operations of our enemies. Buenos Ayres, Santa Fé, Cordova, San 
Juan, San Luis, and Mendoza, had sent out divisions against us. 
The Padre Guiraldes was sent as a deputy from Mendoza, under pretence 
of negotiating a peace or neutrality on the part of that province, whilst his 
real object was to cause a revolution amongst the officers of Carrera. Don 
Juan Jose Benevente, a resident of Mendoza, and brother to our colonel, was 
obliged by the government to give a private letter to Guiraldes by way of re- 
commendation to the Colonel ; and in which he conjured his brother to accede 
to the propositions which the holy father would make him, as the good of the 
country and his own safety and welfare depended on them. ‘The conditions 
were to be privately made known to the Colonel, who was expected to disse- 
minate the seeds of sedition among the officers. ‘The following are the ideas 
which were conveyed to us in Father Guiraldis’ mission. — That Carrera and 
his division had done the greatest injuries to the nation ; nevertheless, there 
‘was yet an opportunity for the officers to make reparation for the evils to which 
they had been accessaries, by abandoning the standard of anarchy and enrol- 
ling themselves under that of the Patria, leaving Carrera alone with his sol- 
diers, to receive ‘the just punishment which the nation would think proper to 
inflict. Some compliments were paid to the understanding of the officers, 
and the Patria anticipated that these propositions would be joyfully received 
by us; for though we had the misfortune to have been misguided, they flattered 
themselves we were still zealous for the public good, and would avail ourselves 
of this opportunity of showing it. In return for this important service, the 
Colonel was to be promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, and every officer 
receive a rank above that which he held in the service of Carrera; our com- 
missions were to be, not from any particular province or government, but from 
the nation, which are considered the most honourable. There was nothing 
38m 2 
